Sweet Jamesie has been unhappy the last few days. The constant presence of drool and hands in his mouth are telltale signs that teething has begun. Even at his absolute crankiest, he’s still the most pleasant baby. When he cries, he gets a look on his face as if to say, “I’m terribly sorry to cry, Mother, but things are hurting and I’m confused. Perhaps you could tend to me?” James is very formal.
Annabel cannot stand when James cries. Not really because she’s so concerned that he’s unhappy, but because she thinks he is painfully loud. It’s ironic because he isn’t, at all, while everything Annabel does is at maximum volume. In fact, as I write this she is talking in her sleep. When James cries, Annie yells, “Mommy, Jamesie is crying!!” and slams her hands over her ears. As you can imagine, it’s tremendously helpful.
A few days ago I was rocking a whimpering James in his room when Annie walked in with her hands clamped over her ears. “MOM,” she shouted, “I BROUGHT SOMETHING TO MAKE JAMES FEEL BETTER.”
She held out her hand, and on it was a toy pacifier meant for one of her dolls.
“Oh honey, this is so sweet but it’s not a real pacifier so he can’t use…”
“No, Mama! This is a special ring. It’s a ring of sadness. If you wear it and wave it around in front of Jamesie, he won’t be sad anymore!”
While Annie was talking, James settled down, looked at Annie, and grinned. “Look Mama, the ring of sadness works!”
According to Annie, the ring of sadness must:
~be worn like a ring, on your finger
~be worn on your finger at all times
~be waved around dangerously close to the face of the person who is sad
Now every single time James is crying Annie will shout, “MOM! GET THE RING OF SADNESS!” Even if it’s the middle of the night. Even if we are out in public. Even if we are in the library. Especially if we are in the library.
Annie is convinced the Ring of Sadness works because it’s magical. I know it works because no matter how much his mouth hurts, James absolutely adores his sister and is always happy when she’s around. I’m no dummy – as long as Annie wants to help make James feel better, I’m completely in favor of it. If only there were a “ring of migraines” or a “ring of creaky joints” for her to use on me.
Ninabi says:
Annie’s idea is wonderful- and I love her magical ring that works because James adores her so much. This could be the story line of a children’s book.
Kristen says:
My first thought when I read the title of this post was “OH NO!” – I assumed the ring meant something like things coming full circle. Guess I should stop always going to the negative… Anyway, I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out! Annie is the most giving child, and I am totally blown away by how her imagination has just blossomed. Her personality blows me away! Love, to all!
Courtney says:
So sweet! My son also thinks he can make his sister stop crying by kissing her. It does work surprisingly well, though–isn’t the bond amazing?
We got an amber teething necklace for her recently and it’s worked wonders, if you’re looking for a super crunchy option.
GingerB says:
I love the Ring of Sadness! We have the Soup of Joy and Healing at our house, which we have used to cure the blues from everything like a virus to mommy sad to leave the hospital and leave the baby there to grief at the loss of a loved one. It is amazing soup, I guess because we think it is, just like how Annabel believes in the Ring.
I would happily watch a video of her waving the Ring of Sadness at me!
kelley says:
Ahhh, bless his sweet little heart, so sorry he’s teething, that’s rough. So happy he has such a wonderful big sister to make him feel better. They are beyond adorable!!! I love coming to your blog and reading about them and seeing their cute pictures
Kelley
ella says:
Is James British? He seems to be.
Annalisa says:
The ring is magic. It possesses the magical power of *distraction*. Duh! James, as you surmised, is so enthralled by his sister that he temporarily forgets his pain.
It beats my daughter’s response to her baby brother crying. She starts off telling him “It’s okay, baby!” (he’s got mild GERD and gets gassy easily, so he’s often mercurial in moods), and when he stops crying because he detects her presence, she starts yelling at him cheerfully, which of course elicits a new round of crying.
Lanie says:
The Ring of Sadness does seem magical. I think I need to give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion Annie!